THE GMS PATHFINDER PROJECT

A collaborative Geostationary Meteorological Satellite (GMS) Pathfinde r Project involving the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (ABM), the Co mmonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), th e Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) and the United States Nati onal Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), with cooperation fro m the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), is underway. Selected data fr om Japan's Geostationary Meteorological Satellite (GMS-5) during a ben chmark period (1 July 1995 - 30 June 1996) are being examined as part of this activity. The objective of the project is to provide a high-qu ality dataset suitable for climate analysis and research. Sources of n oise in the data will be minimised, accurate cloud-detection algorithm s will be developed, and accurate navigation and radiometric calibrati on will be appended to the data. To demonstrate the scientific usefuln ess of the GMS Pathfinder data for analysis and climate research, we w ill examine satellite-observed and derived variables which map be usef ul to monitor oceanic and land-surface changes that occurred over the Australian continent and its surrounding seas during the benchmark per iod. The datasets and documentation developed as part of this project will be made available to NASA's designated Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC) and to a designated Australian site. These data and doc umentation also will be fully available to the scientific community fo r research purposes.